A consumer advocacy group is warning parents away from crayons that contain asbestos.
The group behind this warning is U.S. PIRG Education Fund. While testing back-to-school products for dangerous chemicals, the company found asbestos in a 36-pack of Playskool crayons purchased from Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR).
The U.S. PIRG Education Fund says that the crayon it tested from the Playskool pack was green. It notes that it also tested five other packs of crayons and that none of them contained asbestos. The organization is warning consumers due to the chemical being a carcinogen that can cause cancer and mesothelioma.
The U.S. PIRG Education Fund does note that it isn’t illegal to have crayons that contain asbestos in the U.S. However, it is still advising Playskool and Dollar Tree to voluntarily recall the crayons and change the chemical makeup of them before letting them back on store shelves. It also wants the companies to warn consumers about the crayons.
Consumers that are looking for alternatives to Playskool crayons have a few options. The U.S. PIRG Education Fund tests found than crayons from the following manufacturers didn’t contain asbestos.
- Crayola Crayons (24 pack)
- Up & Up Crayons Classic Colors (24 count)
- Cra-Z-Art Crayons (24 count)
- Disney Junior Mickey and the Roadster Racers (24 count)
- Roseart Crayons (8 count)
It wasn’t just crayons that the U.S. PIRG Education Fund tested for dangerous chemicals. It also took a look at several other back-to-school items. You can learn more about these other tests by following this link.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
